what is the difference between good and bad music


my friend says rap is bad music. another friend says mahler is a terrible composer.

is it all subjective, i.e., a matter of opinion ? or are there standards which can distinguish good from bad music, however one defines these terms ?

if there are standards, can one specify them or refer me to a source ?
mrtennis
Hey Newbee, well yeah thats kinda how it went down. I mentioned the fact I've never had much of an interest in Beethoven and came back to haunt me. Now of course the forum members over at good music guide will deny that's how it went down, but underneath it all this was the main issue. The main core members were all devoted Beethoven fans and would not have such opinions on the board. They of course could not ban me at the moment but had to wait for another opportunity, they ganged up on me while I was "walking through the woods late one evening". Went something like that.
As to your bored with Bach, while I can see that may qualify for some/alot of Bach, there are a few pieces, with the PROPER RECORDING ARTISTS, that i happen to like. But as I hear it, Mozart was Bach's spiritual son, and thus I prefer more Mozart to Bach. Mozart is quite unique among all composers.
As to Berg, let me ask you if you like Schnoberg and webern? Also which recordings of Berg have you heard?
You see I'm in agreement with Schnittke that the artists/conductor are just as important as the composer in bringing forth a success. Whereas Stravinsky's opinion, as mentioned by Schnittke, felt conductors were not very important in the creative process.
I like Berg via certain select recordings.
Its Ok to not care much for Berg, provided you at least heard a few certain recordings that do justice to his scores.
Now as to Stravinsky, he's great for the Paris ballet with many yong parisian femme fatals dancing on stage, but on cd, I find nothing of interest. Hear it once, I "get it" no need for repeat.
Whereas Berg's works provides a lifetime of interest. I'm listening right now to Berg's Chamber Concerto/Boulez and co./Sony. Unreal.(also have the Hollinger/Chamber Orch of Europe/Teldec) You might thinks its aweful/opposite to your ideas of music. But do try to come back to it in 5 yrs or so, you may hear it differently.
I was into classical for 20 yrs before I made all my recent and best discoveries.
I matured on a psychological level and then heard music differently.
One composer led to another. But for me the recording artist is equal to the composer. Another belief that gets me into trouble on classical forums. They and I , just think differently.
a person has a right to like or dislike the music of any composer without being judged for that preference.

it is childish to "penalize" someone for not liking the music of a composer.

i can't think of any rational reason for people being so intolerant.

this attitude is just the opposite of audiogon forum which is accepting of diverse points of a view and stimulating discussions.

thank you gentlemen, for helping to keep my brain cells from atrophying.
Music, blah! I just listen to the wind. Since its not driven by tubes, I spit a lot.
Again Mrtennis, I am describing how good and bad music occur to me. I am not describing how they occur to you. Yes the same piece of music may be good one day and bad the next, based on my emotional state, just as a pill might be good to take one day and bad to take the next because I had a headache on the first day and not the next. the pill is the same but the context isn't. A car is good for getting to work but not good for getting to Europe. I have no problem with that. Do you want some objective way to put a label on a piece of music that forever says it is good, and ve haf vays of making you like it! What makes you want that?
hi redkiwi:

you are helping to make my point. it's all subjective, and opinion.

good and bad anything is purely a matter of opinion because there is absolute standard.

there is knowledge, opinion and facts.

when we experience something we cannot know it.

if music can be judged good and bad by different people and good and bad by the same person, music is neither intrinsically good or intrinsically bad. it is only a label given to it as a result of experience.

there are different "types" of music , just as there are different composers. the types of music are different. better or worse is purely subjective.

this also applies to all other art forms.